Edward F. Hawks (1878-1955) was one of several Episcopalian priests who converted to the Catholic faith in 1908, one year after the Episcopalian Church altered its canon law allowing non-Episcopalians to preach before its congregations. Hawks had been a member of the Companions of the Holy Saviour, a group founded in Philadelphia by Father William McGarvey, which promoted a more Catholic understanding of the Episcopal Church.

After converting, Hawks left his home in Canada and became a priest in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, where he served for several years as a parish curate. During World War I, he served as a chaplain in the Canadian army. When he returned to Philadelphia in 1919, he established St. Joan of Arc parish, where he remained until his death. He was also the founder of the Catholic Evidence Guild, an organization designed to attract converts and lapsed Catholics.

Hawks was a well-known writer and lecturer. For more than 30 years, he wrote a column on current events for the diocesan paper The Catholic Standard and Times. From 1936-1938, after becoming a domestic prelate, he toured Spain to gather accounts of the Civil War for his column. His efforts on behalf of the Nationalist cause won him decoration from the Spanish government.

The collection contains mostly correspondence. Some photographs and miscellaneous personal materials are also included.

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Msgr. John W. Keogh (1877-1960) served as a college chaplain for the University of Pennsylvania’s Newman Club (1913-1938), and was the first “Chaplain General” of the national Federation of College Catholic Clubs (1917-1938). He also served as a chaplain for several Catholic organizations and institutions including the Ancient Order of Hibernians, the Ladies Auxiliary of that association, and St. Bede’s Chapel.

Keogh was also very involved in the total abstinence movement. He served as president of the Catholic Total Abstinence Union of American. He also served as president and was instrumental in the founding of the Priests’ Total Abstinence League of America.

The collection is mostly comprised of correspondence, both personal and professional, that mainly documents his work as chaplain of the Newman Club at the University of Pennsylvania. Also included are clippings, research notes, and published materials reflecting Keogh’s interests in various current events of the first half of the 20th century, particularly those that the Catholic Church was engaged in, such as abstinence, communism, birth control, and Catholic Action. The collection also contains sermons and photographs as well as some legal and estate materials as Keogh was the executor of several wills and estates.

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A prominent orator and preacher, Bishop Joseph M. Corrigan, D.D. served as the sixth rector of the Catholic University of America, Washington, D.C. from 1936 until his sudden death in June 1942. He was also rector of and a professor at St. Charles Seminary (Wynnewood, Pa.) from 1918 to 1936.

After his ordination in Rome in 1903, Corrigan returned to Philadelphia where he played a very active role in the city’s religious and social affairs. He served as assistant pastor in several parishes, and for several years was in charge of the Madonna House and settlement work among Italians. Following his parish work, Corrigan was named Diocesan Director of Catholic Charities and was placed in charge of the Catholic Children’s Bureau.

Corrigan was also a member of the board of directors of the Community Council of Philadelphia (the Welfare Federation). He served as state chaplain of the Pennsylvania State Council of the Knights of Columbus, and was also a judge of the matrimonial court and moderator of the priests’ vigilance committee. Corrigan also served as the first retreat master of the Philadelphia Laymen’s Weekend Retreat League, also known as the Men of Malvern.

The same year that he became rector of St. Charles, Corrigan was made a domestic prelate by Pope Pius XI. His elevation to the episcopacy came in 1940.

This collection contains correspondence as well as some of Corrigan’s sermons, speeches, and radio addresses, and a few photographs. Much of the collection includes ephemera, specifically newspaper clippings, relating to Corrigan’s endeavors and achievements, which are contained in several personal scrapbooks. Also included are materials concerning Catholic University, including a notebook documenting Corrigan’s schedule during his time as rector as well as some items relating to Corrigan’s involvement with the Knights of Columbus. Items relating to Corrigan’s death, such as sympathy letters to his sister and newspaper clippings, are also included. [3 boxes, 3 scrapbooks, 2.6 linear ft.]

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This collection contains various souvenir materials, including correspondence, ephemera, published items, and photographs commemorating the Marian year celebrations and events that took place within the Archdiocese of Philadelphia in 1954.